Michael Jackson

Edit
Lifespan:
August 29, 1958 - June 25, 2009, he died aged 50 and was American.
Names:
Birthname: Michael Joseph Jackson. Alternative names: MJ, Moonwalker, The Gloved One, The King of Pop & Wacko Jacko.
Snapshot:
An Artist with 108 releases, a member of 3 groups, and credited 6 times on others' music. 6 collaborations and 9 musical relatives.

Biography

Edit

Michael Jackson was one of the most popular music stars of the 20th century. He was one of the biggest selling solo artists of all-time (along with Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley), and was the most famous entertainer in the world through the 80s and into the 90s. Known worldwide as the "King of Pop," he remains popular with millions of fans across the globe, even after his death on June 25, 2009.

Jackson grew up in the limelight. He had been the lead singer (since the age of 8) in the family band The Jackson 5, and with them enjoyed five No.1 hits in the US, among other Top 10 singles. His solo career started in 1971 (at age 13), and by 1972 he had his first solo No.1 ("Ben"). In his teens, he recorded four very successful albums for Motown, before leaving for Epic Records where he would enjoy his greatest success.

Between 1979 and 1993, Jackson was an international phenomenon. His 1982 album Thriller is the biggest-selling album of all time, with over 104 million copies sold worldwide. He won eight Grammys for the album, and with seven of the nine tracks released as singles, almost the whole album is widely known, even to those resistant few who do not own it. It spent an unprecedented 37 weeks at No.1 in the US, and stayed in the Top 200 for nearly two-and-a-half years. His previous album, Off The Wall, (1979) has sold over 20 million copies, and the next two,Bad (1987)and Dangerous(1991), each sold over 30 million. During this period, he enjoyed 11 No.1 singles in the US, with each release doing similarly well across the world. The title track to Thriller is also notable for the 14-minute short film that accompanies it. Directed by film director John Landis, it is a spoof on horror movies and features a troupe of tightly choreographed dancing zombies. The film has had a huge effect on popular culture, leading to many attempted re-creations, including a Lego version and a recent video of 1500 inmates re-creating the dance at a correctional facility in the Philippines. Some credit the Thriller film with popularizing the music video format, making it an essential promotional tool for every pop-single release, and with boosting the fortunes of MTV, originally a small cable TV channel.

Controversy had followed Jackson since the end of the 80s. He was known and recognized around the world for his humanitarian contributions and his albums continued to sell in the millions. But other aspects of his life often overshadowed his more recent music.

Notably, Jackson's physical appearance changed dramatically over time, with an alarming loss of pigmentation. In 1993, during an interview with Oprah, he explained that the change was caused by the hereditary skin condition, Vitiligo. He was also diagnosed with Lupus, a disease that is often present with Vitiligo.

Not long after appearing on national television with Oprah, Jackson was accused of molesting Jordan Chandler, a 13-year-old boy he had befriended. Jackson denied the allegations and his insurance company and business advisers urged him to reach a monetary settlement with the family rather than contest the charges in civil court, as Jackson was prepared to do. No criminal charges were ever filed after two grand juries failed to indict Jackson due to lack of evidence.

In 2003 he was criticized for momentarily holding his baby over the side of a balcony, and rumors persisted about his marriages and family life. In 2005, he was accused of molesting Gavin Arvizo, also a 13-year-old boy. Jackson was arrested and charged with 14 felonies. After a lengthy trial, jurors found him not guilty on all counts. Although it was never proven that Jackson molested either of the boys, the allegations stuck in the public consciousness and the stigma remained.

Despite repeated claims that he was ready to re-launch his career, some believed that his reputation had been sufficiently harmed by these events to preclude Jackson from attaining his former stardom. However, with an army of millions of dedicated fans and the utmost respect among musicians for his achievements during his long career as an entertainer, his successful return to the public eye was always a distinct possibility.

According to reports, his next album was to have been made in collaboration with stars such as Kanye West, John Legend, Ne-Yo, Akon and will.i.am. Just prior to his death, Jackson was scheduled to play 50 sold out concert dates at the O2 arena in London. Almost one million tickets for the concerts had sold out within hours of their release.

Music

To use the music player, install Flash.

Genres

Pop, Funk, Disco, Rock, Soul, Traditional R&B, Contemporary R&B. Vote on Genres

Discography

213 releases – 108 under his own name, 106 in other groups and 6 credits on others' music Edit
Invincible Invincible 2000 (Play) Buy mp3
Dangerous Dangerous 1991 (Play) Buy mp3
Ben Ben 1989 (Play) Buy mp3
Bad Bad 1987 (Play) Buy mp3
Collaborations, Groups and Family
Edit
Michael Jackson

Has worked with

Has been in these groups

Has this family

In the News

( 27 stories between 7th January 2008 and 26th May 2011 )

Michael Jackson and Barry Gibb Collaboration Revealed

May, 26 2011

While the pipeline of Michael Jackson material has slowed to a trickle, the Bee GeesBarry Gibb is looking to open the floodgates with a largely unknown reserve of recordings showing himself and Jackson in the studio together. On Wednesday, Gibb released a 34-second video teaser which was shot in December, 2002 on a high-8 camera by Gibb’s son, Ashley. The video shows Gibb and Jackson recording vocals together at Gibb’s now-defunct Middle Ear Studios in Miami, Florida. Gibb revealed there’s over two hours of additional footage. The video shows the pair working on the song, “All In Your Name,” and Gibb wrote on his website, that the song “is infact [sic] the message that Michael wanted to send out to all of his fans all over the World.” Gibb continued, “Michael Jackson and I were the dearest of friends, thats [sic] simply what it was. We gravitated towards the same kind of music and we loved collaborating and he was the easiest person to write with.” -Court

Permalink

Michael Jackson: Trial and Error

Jan, 1 2011

The defense lawyers for Dr. Conrad Murray, Michael Jackson's doctor at the time of his death, may claim at his involuntary manslaughter trial beginning in January that the singer killed himself. The statement by prosecutors in the case came at a hearing last week where a lawyer for Murray clashed with the prosecutor over who should test residue from two syringes found in the dead pop star’s bedroom. Defense attorney J. Michael Flanagan said a huge amount of the anesthetic Propofol – the drug that killed the King of Pop - was found in Jackson's body, but his client has said only 25 milligrams of the drug were administered. The defense may claim Jackson killed himself by injecting himself with a lethal dose of the drug. Also this week, Michael Jackson's estate fired off an angry letter to Discovery Communications over an upcoming TV special that re-enacts the late singer's autopsy. The special is set to air January 13, 2011 in the UK. Fans are already protesting the special, with more than 9,000 signing an online petition asking Discovery not to air it. "Like any other human being on this earth, Michael Jackson is entitled to a minimum of decency and respect," the petition reads. "We ask the directors of the Discovery Channel programming to proceed with the outright cancellation of this indecent documentary, detrimental to both the person and his family and loved ones." -Court

Permalink

The Stars Come Out for Michael's New Album

Dec, 8 2010

Michael Jackson’s first posthumous release, Michael, drops next Tuesday, December 14, and showcases tracks from various recording sessions Jackson had completed prior to his death in June 2009. But Jackson isn’t the only star-power on the ten-track compilation. Akon co-wrote and co-produced the duet “Hold My Hand,” the first single off Michael, while “(I Can’t Make It) Another Day” was written and co-produced by Lenny Kravitz and recorded during Jackson’s Invincible era. Dave Grohl, Foo Fighters' leader and Nirvana alum, has been confirmed as the drummer on the track. 50 Cent recorded his part on “Monster” after the King of Pop had passed away, but through studio wizardry, it’s as though the two stars were recording in the same booth. And this is part of the contention surrounding the release: how much of the album was “in the can” at the time of Jackson’s death, and how much work has been done using recording engineering technologies? Sony has been tight lipped about the album’s production having entered into the largest record deal in history with Jackson’s estate. Michael is the first in a multiple-album deal worth $250M, and Sony plans to ship nearly one million copies to stores.

Permalink

Fans of Michael Jackson

Create a library Create a library!

What's this?

This section shows a summary of user libraries containing releases by this [artist|group].
By adding releases by this artist to your library (and making it public in your settings), your library will be eligible for display here.

If you're a fan of the artist, you might find it interesting to check out some of the libraries - you never know what you might find.